#iba's hair is pain to draw

[nollatooru]

Character challenges continuing.

[blackcatanna]

Playing Kazama's Route Because I Guess I Hate Myself Part 1: Kyoto Winds

So, I'm going to play through everybody's routes on Hakuoki and vent my feelings and frustrations on here! I've already done Saito and Iba but I will play them again soon, too. Next up is Kazama, mostly because I'm curious to find out if this fucker has any redeeming qualities. Maybe if you're into nonces. Idk.

Wow, I had forgotten how gloriously campy this intro is :') I love it so much!

Playing through the prologue because it sets the tone of blood, death and assholes. This game is much more violent, tragic and much less horny than I had predicted and I guess I'm into that.

Aw, Chizuru bae is so lonesome and vulnerable <3

Kodo flashback! HIIISSSSSSSSSS!!! >:(

Just taking a moment to appreciate how beautiful and romantic the nighttime environment and music is <3 At least, until people start getting slashed up X_X

OKAY GAME, WE GET IT: CHIZURU IS HORNY FOR HIJIKATA. GOD.

Okita is enjoying this waaay too much X_X

Chapter 1

WIGGLE WIGGLE WIGGLE

Thank you for untying me, InouBAE!

THEY'VE BEEN DISCUSSING THE SITUATION SINCE MORNING BUT NOBODY THOUGHT TO SUGGEST MAYBE NOT REVEALING MORE SENSITIVE INFORMATION WHILE I'M IN THE ROOM?! I'm surrounded by idiots -_-

Apparently, "They are all truly gentlemen." Uh-huh.

Hooray for Chizuru calling out Okita for being a douche. And Hijikata for calling everyone a bunch of kids! Where is the lie? :')

Um, why has the camera zoomed in on Nagakura's crotch? Chizuru, please control your thirst. This is a life or death situation.

Now Saito's telling Okita to stop being a prick and Okita's response is, "hehe." X_X

Casual suicide jokes... Reminds me of my friends at uni X_X

RUN FOR YOUR LIFE 8O I can't see how this could possibly backfire...

OMG Kondou describing not recognising a girl as "The shame of a lifetime!" XD

"Maybe it's time you spilled your guts, kid." Is he... Is he telling me to commit seppuku?! O_O "I looked at him and nodded." GOODBYE CRUEL WORLD.

Although, with Harada threatening to strip me, suicide doesn't look like such a bad option X_X Tell me, Inoue, WHERE ARE THESE GENTLEMEN YOU WERE TELLING ME ABOUT?!

Feminist Hijikata wants to kill me regardless of gender :') We stan a woke queen.

Feminist icon Sanan also thinks that gender is irrelevant but doesn't want to kill me because THEIR JOB IS LITERALLY TO PROTECT PEOPLE.

You search so hard for Kodo and he turns out to be such a treacherous snake :'(

Bad feminist Hijikata calls the Shinsengumi "sons of bitches" for feeding me to him as his page. The Shinsengumi are strong, independent bitches in their own right.

Escaping execution but being quietly upset about having to wear ugly boy clothes for the foreseeable future is a mood.

More of Hijikata threatening to cut off Okita's tongue, please!

What does Chizuru have against afternoon drinking :P Clearly she has never enjoyed a long glass of Pimm's on a warm Summer afternoon! I guess she is pretty young...

Hijikata isn't here so can I please sneak out with you guys instead of staring at the wall all day?

Reeeeeeally want to pick the yes to dressing like a girl option but apparently that's not what Daddy Nonce wants :( HE'S NOT EVEN SHOWN UP YET AND HE'S ALREADY RUINING MY FUN! >:(

Well, now we're literally running away from Nagakura and Inoue. I'm getting High School flashbacks.

Wait, why is Heisuke being weird about Saito being in my room? Did this happen last time too? Maybe I just forgot or maybe it's because I was hanging out with Heisuke and Harada before...

This dinner is terrifying.

Survival of the fittest? More like survival of the FATTEST! Amirite? Anyone? No? I'll stop.

Takeda admittedly has a point about you not earning your place in the Shinsengumi. And he has great hair. So I can almost forgive him for being a mega bitch.

"His swordsmanship is decent, BUT he is well read and possesses a cunning mind for military science." Not sure if a translation error or Hijikata just hates nerds?!

Does accompanying Hijikata as his page get me bonus Kazama Sexy Points purely because it pisses Hijikata off?

Chizuru once again being in mortal peril but getting distracted by Iba's beautiful face is relatable af.

"Takeda huffed smugly to himself and WADDLED out of the store." What a majestic image we have been blessed with :') The bitchiest penguin ever to waddle this Earth!

Iba happily munching his bean jelly is a MOOD.

Chapter 2

Okita telling you that you're here to keep him company on his rounds is exactly the kind of bullshit that I'd expect from him X_X

Guess I'm just running into a battle...

Oh, it's Kazama. Sitting on the windowsill like the edgy bastard he is.

Aaaand he just killed a guy on his own side. Classic edgelord move.

And apparently I have to thank him for this display if I want him to be my waifu.

Seemingly, Chizuru is thirsty for this slut and is being REALLY FRICKING OBVIOUS ABOUT IT X_X

OH HE DID NOT JUST CALL ME THE SHINSENGUMI'S BITCH. Although, it is somewhat accurate XD STILL A DICK MOVE AFTER I THANKED HIM SO NICELY, THOUGH.

AND HE SAYS THAT I HAVE MANNERS, BUT WHERE ARE YOUR FREAKING MANNERS, YOU EDGY THOT?!!!

I have a feeling that a lot of this will be typed in caps from now on -_-

Oooh he winked! I cannot handle this intense eroticism!

Surprise Saito! My favourite flavour of surprise (see, "Shinsengumi's bitch")!

The Shinsengumi are grateful for my efforts and, thus, have gifted me with the great gift of sweeping <3

Hijikata and Iba are so cute <3

Kazama's being edgy again X_X and murdering people. Classic Kazama.

Oh wow, he's actually calling us peasants.

Aw, we're talented peasants <3 How generous of him!

HOW DARE HE TRASH TALK OKITA LIKE THAT! Wow, I'm actually defending that asshole X_X

Hijikata baring his teeth like an angry doggo XD

I'm super mad at Kazama for killing that poor Shinsengumi guy :'( Such a thoughtless waste of life :'(

Now he's mocking Nagakura's obedience to the Shogun. What are your lofty ideals, Kazama? Ah yes, you want to subjugate and enslave the human race. How... noble...

Okay, so, apparently, Kazama is being a huge, murderous pain in the ass because he's just OH SO CONCERNED for the pride of his human allies. I don't buy it.

Ah, Hijikata called Kazama a petulant child :') Truer words were never spoken!

Okay, now Hijikata is saying that they don't deserve an honourable death?! Wow, Hijikata. That comment is not going to age well, I can tell you.

So maybe I agree with Kazama here!? He still shouldn't have murdered that guy, though.

I seriously don't understand why Hijikata is so keen to slaughter these guys and potentially lose more of his men just to force them to suffer a shameful death?! Maybe he doesn't see dying that way as dishonourable but I have no patience for people forcing their ideals onto others.

Aaah! Kazama throwing Hijikata's insult back in his face is pretty brilliant!

Kazama just sliced me in the face! Sexy?!

Sexy Points with Kazama because he's confirmed your full BROOD MARE potential.

Kazama likes calling people bitches so we have that in common.

So, now Hijikata respects them for committing seppuku?! I am CONFUSED.

Oh, now I'm getting Itou's origin story?! This is unexpected!

Wait, have I broken the game and accidentally romanced Kondou?! What is happening right now?! X_X

Oooh! I'm getting sword training! Yes please! This is better than sex :D

Feminist icon Kondou isn't going easy on me just because I'm a girl :D

Chapter 3

Aka: Sanan's breakdown!

"Those were his last words." O_O I... hope that that's not true...

Okay, now he's throttling me! I take it back! Somebody fillet this crazy fucker!

OMG WAS THAT CRUNCHING SOUND MY NECK?!

But why is he choking me when he could be sipping on my delicious blood? O_o

The awkward moment when your creepy brother is a hotter woman than you X_X

Apparently, Kazama's gazing at me with bloodlust. How romantic.

Haha! Apparently Kazama's hand is "pale and grasping like the tentacle of some hideous subterranean monster." X_X Hot.

Yay! Rescued from tentai boi by HajiBAE and SanoCUTEY! And Harada is calling out Kazama for being a creep :') This is a good day.

Kazama's response burn is weak. The culture and the nose of a dog? What does that even mean? Even if Harada's nose looked like a dog's, that'd still be pretty weak, imo.

Ha! Saito's response is basically just an Uno reverse card but I'm always here for calling Kazama out on his hypocrisy.

Omg, now Yamazaki is kidnapping me and Shiranui's calling him out! None of these hos have any chill!

Amagiri is taking a break from fighting to read Shiranui for being a hotheaded pain in the arse.

Hijikata is rightfully calling me an idiot for drawing my sword on Kazama :')

Kazama's insults are so blunt and childish but it's so funny! He just called Hijikata a weak shit! Apparently, fighting him is an honour and Hijikata isn't giving this diva the attention he believes he deserves.

Hijikata needs to stop calling me Kid X_X

"Sleazebag" = accurate.

Ooh, Sanan is paying me a late night visit! How risqué!

Of course I want to learn more about the water of life but The Grand High Nonce would apparently disapprove so I guess I'll have to wait until another route to find out :'(

Apparently Kazama's not going to abduct me TODAY. How reassuring.

I relate to Kazama admiring the beauty of the temple but he lost me by being a hypocrite again. Apparently, he doesn't understand how humans can destroy their creations with their wars. KAZAMA IS FIGHTING WITH THE PEOPLE WHO WANTED TO BURN KYOTO AND THEY PARTIALLY SUCCEEDED. Kazama can only destroy things, as far as I can tell.

Now he's ranting about how they lie, deceive and kill. Pot kettle black? "If they want something, they'll steal it." UGH, KAZAMA, YOU HAVE REPEATEDLY TRIED TO STEAL ME YOU HYPOCRITICAL FUCKWIT. HE'S SO FRUSTRATING. SUCH AN INSUFFERABLE COMBINATION OF PRETENTION, HYPOCRISY, CRUELTY, HUBRIS, I could go on XD I should stop... For now...

AAAAAH HE JUST SAID NOT TO TRUST THE SHINSENGUMI BECAUSE THEY KILL THEIR OWN MEN WITHOUT BATTING AN EYELASH. THAT'S WHAT KAZAMA DOES WHEN YOU FIRST MEET HIM! BUT I GUESS IT DOESN'T COUNT TO HIM BECAUSE THE MAN WASN'T PART OF HIS SUPERIOR RACE!

Sen = <3

Chapter 4 (This is where I went to sleep)

I feel like we could have got away with killing the guy who was SENTENCED TO DEATH if fricking Sanan hadn't shown up and revealed his alive-ness!

Aw, Itou is concerned about my arm!

Aaaaand he's ruined it by being a cunt XD "Would you like to know?" "Yes." "I won't tell you." X_X

Heisuke, Saito... HOW COULD YOU LEAVE ME... WHEN I NEEDED TO... POSSES YOU... I HATED YOU; I LOVED YOU TOO... BAD DREAMS IN THE NIGHT.... *Continues singing Wuthering Heights and dances around the room dramatically*

"And then they were gone" :'(

Tbf, I'd be pretty mad if my comrades had been doing such dangerous, fucked up experiments behind my back.

"I am more concerned about the soldiers being left behind." - lies!

Wait, Sanan knew Itou "really well"?! Their only interaction until now was Itou being a mega-douche to him. I have so many questions!

Aw, Sanan trusts that our friendlings will return <3

Ooh! Going on a manju adventure with YAM!

Kazama strolling down the street and everybody being pushed out of the way by the douchebag waves rolling off of him.

Okay, so Kazama has come here alone to get pissed amongst humans?! That seems implausible...

"I might even allow you to pour me a drink." BLEUGH BLETCH BLUUURGH.

I CANNOT WITH THIS THOT AND HIS HYPOCRITICAL BULLSHIT. HOW DARE HE BRAG ABOUT HOW COOL AND DOWN WITH THE KIDS HE IS TO BE DRINKING WITH HUMANS AND THEN SLAG ME OFF FOR ASSOCIATING WITH HUMANS?!

If I'm supposedly so curious about the demon lifestyle, can I PLEASE just run away with Sen? :'(

WHY IS NOBODY ASKING WHAT I WANT?!? X_X I WANT TO GO WITH THE COOL DEMON LADIES!!!

"Yukimura. What do you have to say about this?" FINALLY!!! THANK YOU, KONDOU!

I really want to go but the game won't let me XD

Souji is correct. I clearly have rocks for brains XD

"Gosh" Appropriate reaction.

AAAAAAAAND MY BELOVED SHINSENGUMI IS IMMEDIATELY ENDANGERED BY MY POOR DECISIONS.

Ooh! Physical contact with Kazama! Sure, he's violently grabbing me but this thirsty bitch will take what she can get XD

Harada has the best put downs :') "Barging in here to get yourself a wife! You think you'd get the point by now after all these rejections..."

"You fools have no idea of her worth." BITCH I AM A well, not human but SENTIENT BEING! THEY TREAT ME WITH MORE RESPECT THAN YOU EVER DID YOU MASSIVE CREEP. I AM MORE THAN JUST A WOMB, YOU HO!!!

"She is most valuable when used by a fitting partner." THA FUCK DID YOU JUST SAY?!???! NOPENOPENOPE. A FITTING PARTNER WOULD NOT "USE" ME, BITCH.

"HA! So you decide to take her against her will just because you're too scared of the rejection you'll get from flat-out asking her out, huh?" YES HARADA!!! YOU CALL OUT THIS FUCKING NONCE!!! ALL RAPISTS ARE COWARDS!!! "You're so lame and creepy." WHERE IS THE LIE?!??

Meanwhile, Hijikata just makes it clear that he'd happily slice through me. Good to know.

I shall WIGGLE my way out of this situation! What do you mean it didn't work?!

YAAAS KONDOU! YOU FIGHT THAT BITCH!!!

OMG I JUST FELL ON TOP OF OKITA AND NOW HE'S SLUT SHAMING ME! XD

"Tell me... How is it? On top of me. Does it feel good?" O_O O_O O_O This game just got a lot more spicy!

Just fuck already! If only to piss off Kazama X_X

Aw, poor sick Okita <3

How dare they mention that the new HQ has a huge bath for warriors to bathe together and not have another thirst scene :P

Now Harada and Nagakura are slut shaming each other for having their tiddies out in Winter :')

Does this count as sexposition? Politics + tiddies?

"Itou dies." This is what happens when you base a game around true events! Problems aren't solved with the power of love and friendship! X_X

YES SAITO, PLEASE PROTECT ME FROM THIS MURDEROUS NONCE!

Chapter 5

At least in the normal route where nobody loves me, I don't get shot at by cannons O_O

There are a lot of typos in this chapter already. Perhaps the developers didn't expect anyone to be INSANE enough to romance Kazama.

DON'T TELL THIS RANDOM GUY YOUR PLANS YOU FOOL!!! IF THIS GETS INOUE KILLED, IMMA BE SO MAD!!!

NO INOUE!!! DON'T DRINK THE CRAZY JUICE!!!

NOOOOOO!!!! INOOOUUUUEEEE!!! :'(

Yes Queen, you call out those murdering cowards :'(

FFS I just got hella shot X_X

NO YOU GUYS ARE THE MONSTERS!!!

Apparently, I'm a "Noble Demon specimen" BITCH WHERE?!

"Why was Kazama helping me?" UM, HAVEN'T WE BEEN THROUGH THIS?! BECAUSE HE WANTS TO "USE" YOUR FERTILE WOMB TO BREED A NEW LINE OF DEMON CHILDREN.

"Shoot me? To death?" XD

"Kazama glared coldly at the pile of dismembered corpses on the floor" :') So romantic!

OMG IT'S THE BETTER DRESSED VERSION OF ME!!!

"Actually a man." UM, A CHILD, SEEMINGLY.

The whole creepy demonic family together at last :')

STOP CALLING ME ADORABLE AND LITTLE YOU CREEPY DEMON CHILD.

"What you're doing is disgraceful." YOU TELL HIM KAZAMA.

"Mind if I kill your family, right here and now?" O_O Kazama has zero chill! Thanks for asking, though, I guess. Go for it, Kazama XD

Oh, apparently I'm going to "talk to them" X_X

"Kodo, I could murder you over a thousand times, and it still wouldn't be enough for me." This is the most I've ever liked Kazama.

Doesn't Kazama work directly with Kodo in various routes?

Why can't I vanish like smoke? :'( Where are MY cool demon powers? :'(

"Turns out the only one capable of keeping you safe when you needed them most was me -- not them." HOW DARE YOU!!! INOUE GAVE HIS LIFE PROTECTING ME AND YOU'VE NEVER PUT YOUR OWN PRECIOUS NECK OUT THERE FOR ANYONE IN YOUR ENTIRE LIFE YOU POMPOUS ASS!!! YOU'VE NEVER HAD TO WORK FOR ANYTHING IN YOUR WHOLE LIFE, HAVE YOU?! YOU WERE BORN A DEMON PRINCE AND THAT MAKES YOU THINK THAT YOU'RE BETTER THAN EVERYONE ELSE?!? BECAUSE YOU HAVE POWERS YOU DIDN'T EARN?!

"If your idea of a good time is seeing the rotting corpses of your friends, be my guest..." 8_8 :'( No, they can't all be dead! Surely not! Kazama don't say things like that!

The Yodo are going to betray the Shogunate?!? I must warn them D:

Wow, this just got heavy and real sad.

Wait, did he just admit to meddling in the war?! He is such a hypocrite!!!! Aaaaaaah!!! Somebody call him out on his bs!!!!

SEN AND KIMIGIKU <3 SAVE ME!

Even Shiranui sees that humans have a variety of complex motivations X_X

I AM NOT YOUR FUTURE WIFE!!!!

Do the Shinsengumi just assume that I'm dead?!

Great, now I'm on a road trip with this cunt.

"I've never actually been this close to a man before..." Calm down! That horse is third wheeling so hard right now. And what about that time you fell ON TOP OF Okita?!

Welp, that's it for Kyoto Winds! Onwards to Edo Blossoms! I still don't like Kazama but at least murdering the ever-loving FUCK out of Kodo is a cause that I can believe in. Although, one of the reasons that I hated Kodo in Saito's route was because he was helping the same sex pest I'm now galloping across the country with. Huh. 

This is the most that I’ve ever used the word, “nonce” in my entire life and this is only the first game.

[toffeen]

I’ll tell you my sins so you can sharpen your knife. Offer me that deathless death... (Iba Hachiro - Hakuoki)

Ok but I want to get used to draw him because his hair is a pain orz

[spider-moon-princess]

Fight me prompt, Shiori and Iba

COP AU! This one was hella fun, thank you~. BTW, watch out for language.

“He’s so perfect!”

Shiori’s eyes burned with jealousy as she eyed a group of women standing by the coffee machine, gossiping and preparing their coffees. All the pairs of eyes were on her boyfriend. He really was perfect, it used to aggravate her to no end, with his beautiful soft green eyes, perfect hair, face, beautiful features, everything about him was perfect.

But now it was aggravating that women were staring at him, right in front of her. She watched him with the group of women. He was just sitting at his desk, in his white button up shirt, loose navy blue tie, doing paperwork. He was just going about his day, looking so good. If this station was empty, she’d shove him onto his desk-

He was so annoying. Was annoying the word for him anymore? Oh God, how she used to find this rich pretty boy with his positive attitude for everything so damn annoying back when they first met. When he smiled, annoyance bubbled within her-or perhaps her heart was beating faster and her stomach had flipped for a different reason? She didn’t know, but now her heart and stomach did those things because she was in love with him. Love. She couldn’t get used to the word.

Shiori grabbed her mug of hot, black coffee and pushed past the group, grumbling curses under her breath as she stomped towards her boyfriend’s desk. She grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled him up to crush her lips to his, maybe that’ll show them.

“Shi-Shiori!” Iba’s cheeks were dusted with pink as he straightened his shirt and tie. “We’re…out here…” He wondered what was up with her…she wasn’t one to flaunt their relationship in their precinct.  

“Hachirō, you’re mine.” She whispered, her fingers lingering at his cheeks, sighing. “Don’t you forget that.”

“I-I’ve never forgotten it, not since the day we confessed our love…”

Shiori flushed this time. He was so cheesy. “I’m going to spar for a bit, I’ll see you later.”

—

Iba watched his girlfriend flip another man over, sighing dreamily. She was so pretty, her long, wavy violet hair in a ponytail, flipping behind her as she sparred. He went over and wiped her sweat with a towel, surprising her. Iba smiled as he saw her cheeks redden, and she swatted his hand away gently, her manner of saying she liked the action. “Hachirō, fight me.”

Chuckling, he continued patting her forehead and nodded. Her tone was much more different than when they had met. “Fight me!” She said so angrily, annoyed, with a glare in her cyan eyes. It was her response to everything and everyone. She wanted to prove that she was better in hand-to-hand, with a gun, making arrests. She had always been endearingly competitive to him. Shiori had something to prove in this male-dominated job, and she was certainly pulling her weight. Iba as her partner and boyfriend supported her. Her “fight mes” were now said with a hint of affection when she said them to him. “Very well, Shiori, I’ll spar with you.”

The remaining officers cleared the room, knowing they weren’t going to get any more use out of the sparring area.

They circled around each other like panthers circling their prey, but with no intent to kill. Iba made the first move, lunging at her, but she quickly feinted right, avoiding his hands. Shiori made the next move, and successfully caught him in his her grasp, attempting to flip him on his back. Iba hooked his leg around hers and tripped them both to the ground, pinning her underneath him. He chuckled lightly as she tried to rip out of his grasp, but she didn’t make any desperate attempts to get out of his grasp. Iba tenderly brushed his lips against hers, his brown hair tickling her face. “Ah-ah, seems like it’s my win today, Dearest.” He brushed his nose against hers and kissed it.

“Goddamn it, Hachirō,” She sighed but blushed, her heart was overfilling with feelings for him. She felt his grasp loosen and took the opportunity to roll him onto his back and pin his wrists down. A little smirk graced her lips and she crushed her lips to his, letting her tongue dance with his.

She left him breathless. He could feel her hot breath on his cheeks. “…can we call that a draw, Darling?” Her violet locks tickled his cheeks. Being pinned underneath her wasn’t a bad sight either. His eyes traced her curves until they met her cyan eyes.

“Shut up, Hachirō.” She flicked his forehead. “Down. I’m on duty until evening.”

“Ouch…” He sat up and pouted. “What a shame that is, Dearest.” Iba’s arm grabbed her waist and pulled her into him, his lips softly pressing against her forehead. “I’ll meet you at home. I’ll have a nice bath running for you with vanilla candles, a bath bomb, and rose petals. I’ll even have a glass of wine waiting for you.” He whispered in her ear, causing her to shiver in his embrace. “Mm? What do you say to that?”

She flushed and quickly stood up. “F-fine…just…” She dropped her voice to a whisper. “Make sure you’re in that bath.”

Iba let out a light laugh and stood up. “Deal, Dearest. I’ll see you later.” He gave her hand a squeeze and let it linger as he left the room.

After finishing in the shower and pulling on his pants, he was finishing buttoning up his white shirt.

“Yo, Hachirō!” Shinpachi clapped his back as he opened the locker next his. He pulled out his clothes and tossed them on the bench.

“Hello, Nagakura-san.” Iba bowed his head and continued buttoning his shirt. Before he could continue their conversation, a loud conversation made them turn their heads.

“You got thrown on your back real good back then by Kaneko, Kimura.” Roars of laughter sounded by the the locker room on the other side.

“Aw, shut up, Maeda. She’s stronger than she looks.”

“Bet her body’s as nice as it felt, huh?”

Iba clenched his fist as he paused his movements. He didn’t like that one bit. He’ll let it slide, just this once.

“You don’t even know. I’d tap that ass if I could. Maybe I should spar with her next time.”

“She’ll toss you on your ass, Goto.”

“Speaking of asses we’d tap, what about that prosecutor that’s been coming around?”

“Ah, Miura, yeah. She’s not too bad on the eyes, she has a nice rack too.”

“Nah, Kaneko has a better body.”

“Miura has a better ass.”  

“That’s it!” Shinpachi charged towards them and punched the nearest officer standing to him. “Shut the fuck up!” He clenched his fists. “You bastards, how the fuck do you speak so disrespectfully!” He threw out another punch which set them all off.

Iba rushed over to help Shinpachi, resulting in a brawl. Punches were being thrown, bodies were noisily being flung against the lockers which attracted the attention Captain Hijikata who was passing by with Sanosuke. They entered the men’s locker room and broke up the fight.

“Shinpachi!” Hijikata roared. “Stop!”

Sanosuke used his long arms to push them away from each other. “Calm down, you idiots!”

“STOP THIS IMMEDIATELY.” Hijikata’s voice boomed and it had everyone stopping in their tracks. “Get in my office, all of you!” He barked, storming out of the locker room.

They filed in after him.

“What the fuck was that?”

“Nagakura threw the first punch, Captain.”

“I don’t fucking care. What the hell was that? For fuck’s sakes you’re worse than inmates!” Hijikata ran a hand through his short, black hair.

“Allow me to explain, Captain Hijikata…” Iba cleared his throat. “…They were saying disrespectful things about Officer Kaneko and Prosecutor Miura. Awful, misogynistic comments about them.” He clenched his fists, trying to keep his voice steady. His soft green eyes glared at the other officers.

“I expect this shit from Shinpachi, but I can’t believe you were mixed into this, Hachirō.” Hijikata sighed, shaking his head. “And you idiots, those kinds of comments are prohibited. Fucking prohibited. That officer and prosecutor you were talking shit about are both hard workers. Next time I hear any sort of shit like this, I’m sending you to a sexual harassment class.” Hijikata crossed his arms. “Get the hell out of my office, all of you!”

Shinpachi and Iba remained in his office as the others filed out.

“Hijikata-san! You shouldn’t have let them off so damn easy!” Shinpachi clenched his jaw, wincing at the pain in his face. “They were saying shit about Etsu!”

“I didn’t appreciate the comments made about Shiori either…” Iba said lowly.

“I know. They’re…friends. Kaneko’s one of our finest and Miura has helped solved numerous cases. Talented, the both of them. I don’t appreciate the comments, and if I ever hear shit like that again, I’ll be making suspensions and taking overtime away.” Hijikata crossed over to his chair and sat in it.

He sighed as he heard loud footsteps and the door to his office bust wide open.

“What the fuck happened?” Shiori followed by Etsu entered and went over to their respective boyfriends. They had been given a short explanation by Sannosuke and Shiori had charged out when she heard that Iba was involved in a brawl.  

Etsu’s brows furrowed in concern. “Honey Bear…your face…you’ve got bruises…” She gave his hands a squeeze. “Why did you get in a fight, Shin?”

“Shit happens…y’know…let’s go.” Shinpachi pulled her out of the office by her hand, giving it a slight squeeze.

“Who the fuck messed up your face? Which son of a bitch’s chops am I gonna bust? Who the fuck was the fucker that did this fucking shit to you?” Shiori was glaring at the bruises on his face and his busted lip.

“Language. You kiss me with that tongue, Dearest?” Iba sighed and took her hand in his.

“Shut up and tell me which fucker am I going after.” She cast her cyan eyes onto their Captain. “Captain Hijikata?”

“It’s not within my authority to tell.” He gave them a sly smile. “But I’ll pretend I didn’t hear anything if Hachirō says anything.” He’d love to see them all get their chops busted by one of his best officers.

“Shiori, is it my looks? Do you love me for my looks?” Iba feigned a pout.

“It’s the fact that they fucking hurt you and it shows.” Her fingers gently slid down his cheek.

“Get Hachirō treated, Kaneko.” Hijikata pointed to the door.

“Yes, sir.” Shiori continued to grumble under her breath as Iba squeezed her hand as they walked out.

His usual soft eyes were fierce as they walked past the group of officers he’d fought. His jaw clenched at the thought of any of them laying their slimy hands on his girlfriend.

“Hachirō, my hand.” Shiori tapped the back of his hand with her other one. “A little tight there.”

“I’m sorry, Darling.” He released her hand and placed it on the small of her back, guiding her forward.

She could tell something was bothering him, but she made a note to ask about it later.

–

Sighing, Shiori settled into the bathtub next to her boyfriend. After having Etsu put ointment on his bruises, since she had some things to finish. Like Iba had said, when she came home, dinner had been cooked and the bath had been as he’d described it.

Iba buried his face into her neck and he pulled her close. “Shiori…I…would prefer it if you wouldn’t spar with other men besides the men in our friends group?”

“Could it be what that brawl was about? Some stupid sexual comments those idiots made?” Shiori had heard it from Etsu after she’d gotten it out of Shinpachi. She leaned against his chest.

“Yes. They bothered me…that they would talk about you in such a manner, as well as other women.” He shut his eyes, enjoying the feel of her skin against his under the water.

“Hachirō, they don’t mean shit. If they make a pass at me or anyone else, I’ll split their skulls open.”

“And I have no doubt, Dearest. I know you can handle them.” Iba kissed her cheek. “…I just…hate it. That other men look at you in such a way.”

Shiori laughed at the irony. “…Honey Pie, women look at you too in the same manner men look at me, I guess. I’m not particularly attractive though.”

Iba gasped and shook his head. “Shiori! You’re absolutely beautiful.” He kissed her shoulder, murmuring against her skin. “Every bit of you. Don’t put yourself down. You define beauty itself.”

Red colored her cheeks. “Right back at you, Iba Hachirō, you and your stupidly perfect looks.” She ran her fingers through his brown hair. “But you’re all mine.”

“I am, and you’re mine too.” Iba captured her lips and let his hands roam her body as hers roamed his body.

[ivanmikel-blog]

A Princess of Peace

A Princess of Peace

Madaming pangyayari sa ating buhay, mayroong masaya, may malungkot, may kakaiba, at may mga tao, bagay at pangyayari na hindi mo makakalimutan.

“Uy Ivan!”

Ayyy eto na pala ang aking makulit na kaibigan, magkukwentuhan kami ng tungkol sa inorder kong damit, and her name was Lou!

Ang napili ko na ilagay sa T-Shirt ko “I am a pencil on the hands of a writing God, who is sending a love letter to the world!” at ipinakita sa akin ng kaibigan ko ang kanyang disenyo... and we’ve been good friends eversince.

We’ve had many meaningful conversations like when she is crying out to me and she is saying, “Bakit ako di nabibigyan ng chance na maging frontliner, (Solo Mic singer sa Ministry namin) bakit ganto ganyan” and I would tell her to wait for her time. Natatawa nalang kami pag napag uusapan ung ganung klaseng usapan.

Ayy nakakamiss din nung panahon na nag-aasaran tayo, kasi may gusto ka sa isang tropa natin na nasa ibang bansa kahit sabihin pa namin na may gusto na iyon na iba! Antigas nung ulo mo sa part na yon hahaha.

Also there was a time, I became part of a bunch of great people who has the heart to help others and has the fire to make things possible. And sometime later, you joined us! You became a great support, we saw your heart in serving others, in loving our less privileged brothers and sisters. And that year we celebrated our first Christmas Party as an organization, Cheers to that!

And came 2017, you grew so much as a person! Naks, Frontlines ka na din, Nasa Media Ministry ka pa, Active sa Org natin, and you were doing it all at once! Parang mga highschool students kwentuhan tayo ng mga crush natin noon and may bago ka nang gusto hahaha! Priceless moment! Also there was a time na nasa Lovelife retreat kami and sinundo ka pa namin at tinago ka pa namin sa sasakyan AHAHAHA! Pasaway!

Also we shared to each other our prayer requests, na gusto mo magkawork and it became true, Praise God!! Also you were helping me discern for Worship Lineups, I remember na lagi mong request ung Prince of Peace, pero madalas di kita mapagbigyan, pero when it was lined up, you would be very happy and you would panic ahahaha!

Tanda ko after a few months, nagshare ka sa akin about relationship and sabi mo you were “troubled”, “HABA ng Hair mo Girl!” yan lagi ko sinasabi sayo dahil sa shinare mo, nanghihingi ka ng advice, RELATIONSHIP ADVICE sa akin na single AHAHAHAAH. And we’ve had a meaningful conversation, dito din nag umpisa yung “Kamote ka Van!” HAHAHAAH and dito mo rin sinabi sakin na bago ka sumabak sa isang relasyon ay kikilalanin mo talaga yung person and i think you were really faithful to that. And lagi tayo nagkwekwentuhan, and you were into Calligraphy, and syempre supportive ako na friend, I looked for a pen and got you a Chameleon Pen ahahah hinanap pa natin yun sa Makati friend! And little did I know, that you were into calligraphy dahil sa kaibigan nating isa! HAHAHAH

And that is the start of your lovelife ahahaha! And that year we created Daylight! I don’t know, siguro when you and Van are together nararadiate nyo sakin ung saya ng Daylight! We jived as true friends hahahaah. Also naiba ang pangalan ko ahahah dahil si Van na ang Van, ako na si Ban. AHAHAHHAHA

Also, this is the time when I started writing again and inumpisahan ko ung #isangkathaisangaraw. You supported me! Yey! And nagsisunuran na sina Tonya, Gegs, Jaja, Claire, Kuya Marlon and I was really very happy.

Well nagkatampuhan din naman tayo ng major, I remembered when it was nung bago palang kayo ni Van, I think it was your Baguio trip! Pero naging okay din ang lahat. On my part ansaya lang kasi I gained another kapatid in Van, kayo naging sandalan ko ahaha. And dito nag umpisa yung “Haynako Ivan!” kasi matigas din ulo ko hahahaa! And isa ako sa mga madalas nyong Third Wheel, well Third Wheel din ako ni Sandro at Tonya ahahha so madalas Fifth Wheel, minsan Seventh Wheel pag kasama sina Greeg at Ella AHAHAHA. LESHE!

And naging solid ang tropahan at kasama na si Van! Nag umpisa ung mga Friday Nights, na puro catch up, kwentuhan, planning ng mga swimming na naging drawing,

And tayong tatlo naging part ng dalawang grupo ng mga amazing na tao, and being part of it, I really think that we too became amazing in our own respective ways.

And nung nahiwalay kami ni Van at ate Amiel mo dahil we served in Feast San Lorenzo, you were our takbuhan pag may kulang kami sa slides at lyrics ng kanta ahahah. You’ve been supporting us in the background and several times pupunta ka just to help us not only in the media but also in worship.

And when I started #projectwonderfullife, you were also supporting me kasi I wanted to give hope to ordinary people that might be feeling sad and needed a glimpse of happiness and hope. And to show your support, ginawan mo ako ng design, and I was very very very thankful. For now, I know naman na maliit pa ung network ko pero I know in time I hope i can reach out to the people I intended to reach in the first place.

At marami pang nangyaring happy moments in between! And lahat yun di ko kakalimutan kapatid! Tulad ng panloloko nyo sakin ni Van na magiging Tito na ako and yung mga laughtrip moments, pag pinag-uusapan din natin si wahaha or si ate mo na baka may interes na sakin hahahah. Kabaliwan! HAHAHA Gold moments indeed.

And you know for a fact that I loved anime, and you were enthusiastic din dahil you wanted to watch a specific anime movie with us nina Sandro at Tonya! Isa pa yan sa mga Thank You moments ko sayo!

It’s just sad na this chapter just ended, umuna ka na jan sa heaven. Akala ko sa Anime at Pelikula lang nangyayari ang ganito, na dalawang taong nag-iiibigan pero umuna na ang isa. Ansakit nun sa puso kasi pareho kayo ni Van ang talagang napalapit sakin, i felt Van’s Pain and tears even if it refuses to fall. And I can’t help but give him space sa ngayon. And ikaw talaga ang soulmate nya, you’ve pushed him to grow <3! And never will we forget you and now that you are in Heaven, please always pray for us! Kasama mo na ang Prince of Peace and your joy is complete.

There will never be goodbyes for us, and you will always be in our hearts kapatid!

You’ve been a faithful servant, Come share Your Master’s Joy!

And although, it still hurts, dama pa namin, and some songs like these may remind us of the pain

“Parang isang pahiwatig na magpapaalam ka na,

Hindi ba't sabi mo hindi mo ako iiwan?

Hindi papabayaan na ako'y mag-isa,

Hindi ba't sabi mo sabay tayong tatanda?

Bakit bigla ka na lang nandiyan .... sa kabilang buhay? “

Kabilang Buhay - Bandang Lapis

but then another song will remind us of you and your love for us and for God,

Tearing through the night

Riding on the storm

Staring down the fight

My eyes found Yours

Shining like the sun

Striding through my fear

The Prince of peace met me there

- Prince of Peace - Hillsong

So long my friend! Mamimiss ko Taglish mo hehehe, mamimiss namin yung physical presence mo but then we know you are with us, as our Guardian Angel! Bantayan mo kami lalo na si Van hehehe! and pagpray mo na matapos ko na ang #isangkathaisangaraw! <3

You lived a wonderful life! And thank you for saying “I can” with us! You are now a Princess of Peace!

Till we meet again! Magkwekwentuhan pa tayo jan sa langit and we will praise our Savior!

Ivan The Terrible Writer aka Ban

[williamlwolf89]

The Blogger’s Guide to Telling Stories That Win Hearts and Minds

Have you ever wondered if people even care about your writing?

You pour out your heart and soul, but sometimes that feels like shouting your words down a bottomless abyss.

You know you have a world of knowledge to pass on – but you have no idea how to wrap it into an exciting package your readers will love.

Could it be that … your writing just isn’t engaging enough?

After all, if even famous writers like Hemingway or Steinbeck took many, many years to excel in their craft, how are you supposed to instantly produce a moving masterpiece out of thin air?

You just feel overwhelmed.

And when the time comes to crank out another post for your blog or writing client, that huge blank space with the relentlessly blinking cursor … frankly, it’s terrifying. Because you fear the response to your efforts will be radio silence … once again.

Luckily, you have a fool-proof technique at your disposal that is guaranteed to make your readers long for every powerful word you write.

And it’s been around forever.

The Incredible Power of Stories to Win Hearts and Minds

As humans, words are perhaps our most powerful tools. Words have crushed souls and built empires. So let me tell you a little story about the true power of words.

It’s the story of Scheherazade, a young girl in ancient Persia, who was facing execution, scheduled for the next morning.

Curiously, she had brought herself into her situation on purpose. She had agreed to marry the king.

The king’s first wife cheated on him, and he felt so angry and bitter that he decided to make sure it never happened again: by bedding a new virgin wife every night and having her decapitated the next morning.

But Scheherazade wasn’t just stunningly beautiful; she was also extraordinarily smart. She had a plan to snap the king out of his bloodthirsty frenzy. Every night, she would tell him one of the most bewitching, mesmerizing stories he had ever heard and interrupt it right at its peak, promising to continue the next night.

And every night, the king spared her life for just one more day.

But for how long could she continue this dangerous game?

You’ll have to wait to find out. But first, let’s take a look at the powerful trick Scheherazade employed.

Why a 30,000-Year-Old Trick Still Works Today

As long as humans have existed, we have been hardwired to satisfy one urge. (No, it’s not what you think.) I’m talking about storytelling.

Some 30,000 years ago, when our ancestors carved the thrilling tale of their last mammoth hunt into rock walls, their scraggly-haired friends must have consumed these stories eagerly.

That’s because the need for stories is rooted deeply inside our brains.

It’s the reason you love watching movies or TV. The reason you exchange your latest personal adventures over a cup of coffee. The reason we tell bedtime stories to our kids and the reason you can’t help but check your Facebook page for updates from friends.

We’re addicted to stories because we get the thrill of a new experience without risking pain or hardship ourselves. And they’re a form of communication. We live and relive events through stories.

And our brains process stories differently. Stories engage a deeper part of our brains than any logical explanation ever could — it’s the emotional part, the “Ugh-I-once-felt-that-too” part. And we connect at a much deeper level than information delivered in the abstract.

Author David Mamet famously stated, “The audience will not tune in to watch information. You wouldn’t, I wouldn’t. No one would or will. The audience will only tune in and stay tuned in to watch drama.”

When you think about it, that’s exactly the reason we read the entertainment, sports, even politics section of the news.

Humans crave drama – so feed it to them like candy!

But how does this apply to you as a blogger?

How to Avoid Drowning in a Sea of Forgettable Bloggers

As stories connect so deeply with our emotions, content that uses storytelling is also more memorable than bare facts alone.

In fact, stories are 22 times more memorable than bare facts.

Pack any bit of information you want to pass on to your reader into a story, and it will stay with him. Stories mean emotion, and emotion means deeply engraving the lesson into your reader’s brain.

Here is a demonstration. Which advice would you have listened to more closely as a kid:

“Don’t feed the grizzly; it’s dangerous.”

or

“Little Charlie from across the street tried to feed the grizzly last week and got his arm torn into a bloody mash.”

Take your pick.

Because here is the harsh blogging truth: People forget the lessons they learn online, even the ones they absolutely love. Life gets in the way. But next time your reader is standing in her kitchen, wondering about what to bake, she might remember that funny story about the dog that stole the blueberry pie… and use exactly that recipe from your cooking blog.

Finally, if you do nothing else but inform your reader with your content, you are missing out on one of the main reasons he came to you in the first place: Entertainment.

Whether they know it or not, your readers are also surfing the Internet for distraction. And if you can include stories in your blog, you’ll make reading fun. And they’ll stick around.

But you might wonder if storytelling even applies to your blog. Storytelling is for novels and movies and TV shows, right? But blogging? How does that work?

Let’s find out …

Storytelling: The Swiss Army Knife for Self-Reliant Bloggers

You may not believe it yet, but you can use storytelling for virtually any blogging topic.

Writing a post for your car maintenance blog about how to change a fan belt? Tell a story about how many years ago, your uncle’s fan belt tore while he was on his way to a date. He tried changing it and arrived covered in engine oil.

Writing about how to calculate the centroid of a trapezium on your math blog? Tell them about your excitement for mathematical formulas and how your parents found out about it by observing you drawing geometrical figures in the sandbox all day long.

No topic is too abstract for a story, once you find a way to relate it to people.

It’s great for posts that already have a kind of narrative flow: ultimate guides, “How to” posts, bonding posts, case studies, or opinion pieces.

But you can also use storytelling for posts that just contain bare lists, like a list of resource links. Just put your story in the opening or the closing of the post.

Here is the basic rule: You can tell a story in any post that includes at least a little snippet of continuous text.

And your secret weapon of storytelling isn’t just limited to posts. You can use stories to sell products or to connect with your list as well.

The following are some examples of how to do it:

Roundup posts. Set the context with a story. If your post is about getting more followers on Facebook, tell the story of how you struggled to grow your following until you applied the advice of certain experts. You could also insert a story into the participants’ bios.

Interviews. Frame your questions with stories. For example: “Amanda, I know in your first two months of blogging your blog saw a whopping total of 23 visitors. Today, you have ramped it up to 40,000 visitors per month. Which tools most helped you to make your blog a success?”

Opinion pieces. Describe an experience that led you to form your opinion, and describe it in the form of a story. Look at the topic and find an association that holds a story. Make your opinion or attitude a story in itself by describing how it makes you behave.

“Wake-up call” posts. Paint the future story of the best case and worst case scenarios: What will happen if the reader doesn’t change their behavior? What will happen if they do? Show the domino effect of good or bad events. Once you have a chronological sequence, you have a story — things are happening one after the other.

“Cause” posts. Let’s say you decide to lead the fight against a new regulation your readers hate. Tell the story of that witty email you wrote to the bureau, starting with the hopeless quest to find the email of the right person. It’s David versus Goliath, and readers love to root for the underdog.

About Pages. Using personal stories on your “About” page helps you appear like a real human being – not a faceless digital ghost. Also, choose stories that make you stand out, even if it’s in an awkward way. Aaron Iba, in his “About” page, simply scanned a psychological evaluation from his childhood days. It diagnoses him as a highly intelligent kid … with ADD. And it definitely makes him look very human.

Product Reviews. Tell the story of how a time management product “saved your life” or a fertilizer killed your favorite plant. But be truthful – this is not the place for invented stories.

Sales Pages. If you have a product or service to sell (or from your affiliates) or you can make money with, write testimonials as success stories. Let a happy customer describe how your financial coaching paid for itself in a few weeks and left them with money in their pockets at the end of every month.

Email newsletters. Personal stories help subscribers identify with you, but writing about your grandma’s gum surgery will look odd without the relevant context, so link it to your blog topic. A photography blogger might tell the story of toppling over backwards trying to shoot a photo of the tip of the Eiffel Tower. And by the way, to achieve a pleasant contrast when shooting against a bright sky, this is what you have to do…

As you can see, bloggers can use stories just about anywhere.

But why are they so effective?

5 Ways Stories Can Supercharge Your Writing

Here are just a few of the ways stories can lend power to your writing.

1. Stories Add Clarity and Credibility

If you want to demonstrate a point, a story is ideal because it shows how your lesson played out in the real world. A story is like a testimonial for your tip.

In ancient times, when Uagh told Uggah (both conventional stone age names, I assume) how his mammoth hunting friend had broken through the ice layer never to be seen again, it wasn’t just to give Uggah the slight kick that he had outlived his friend. It also served as a testimonial, a warning of the precise spot of danger on the ice.

We trust the experience of others, that’s why testimonials work so well. And we pass our experiences on in the form of stories.

Anthony Metivier shows us how the mind can suppress memory and gives an example with a little story about his near-plane-crash-experience.

2. Stories Bond You to Your Readers

A Masai Warrior and a New York stockbroker live in totally different realities, but they both know the joys of a task well done or the fear of losing someone. The one thing they have in common are the same emotions.

If you tell your own story and share your emotions, you’ll bond the reader to you.

Sarah Peterson lays it all out about how she struggled in her relationship while becoming an entrepreneur. Sarah’s readers share the goal of leaving the 9-to-5 grind, so this is a courageous post that taps deeply into their fears and desires. It makes the reader feel understood.

In your bonding story, share your authentic feelings. Letting your most private feelings go public for the whole world to see can be scary. But these feelings are exactly what will make your story work so well.

3. Stories Provide Entertainment and Variety

People love to be entertained. So share something fun, outrageous, or surprising.

Chuck Wendig, in this example, shows off his radical and entertaining writing style. In an imaginary conversation about a figure his reader created, he writes:

When I talk to you about your character, and you start to tell me, “Well, she has to find the DONGLE OF MAGIC to fight the WIZARD OF BADNESS and then she tames HORBERT THE MANY-HEADED DRAGON,” I immediately start to cross my eyes. I emit drool. I have a small seizure and then fall into a torpid grief-coma. Grief over what you’ve done to the human condition.

The post wouldn’t have lost any information without this paragraph, but it’s fun and draws the reader in.

4. Stories Help You Win Your Reader’s Attention

The purpose of your opening is to catch the reader’s attention and draw them into your post. Stories do this naturally.

This post begins “Food changed my life,” and the phrase is strange enough to get readers curious. How could something as commonplace as food have changed the author’s life? What does he mean? Is it about losing weight? Or the hidden additives in our modern diet? Or the torturous taste of fried tarantula?

Reading on, the author talks of pushing his trolley among “soulless food” and of how he “hates food.” We all need food, so how can he possibly hate it? (And still, we might have secretly felt the same way some time after consuming too much McDonald’s food.)

Each new sentence seems to raise as many questions as it answers, and before the reader knows it, they’re drawn deeply into your post and train of thought.

So throw your reader a hook, let them bite, and reel them in on the fishing line of their own curiosity and appetite for drama.

5. Stories Inspire People to Take Action

One of the best ways to close your posts is with a call to arms – inviting your reader to act now.

So use a story to paint a vivid and inspiring future for your reader.

This Copyblogger post is about touching people with your writing. In its last paragraph, it tells the story of the future you, the heartfelt writer, affecting the lives of thousands of people with your writing:

Give them a reason to laugh. Give them a reason to cheer. Give them a reason to keep fighting, even when they feel like all hope is lost.

Do that, and you won’t have to search for readers. They’ll search for you. You’ll boot up your computer one morning to find thousands upon thousands of them waiting for you, ready to listen, ready to learn, ready to launch into action.

And that’s when you’ll realize: you’re not just a writer anymore. Word by word, sentence by sentence, paragraph by paragraph, you’re changing the world.

Maybe you’re like Don [Draper, from ‘Mad Men’], lying on a couch, sipping a glass of bourbon, or maybe you’re not. Either way, you gotta admit…

It’s pretty freaking cool.

Jon Morrow skillfully fires up his reader’s emotions, and boy, do you want to go out and write after reading it.

How to Find the Perfect Story for Any Situation

Having been convinced of the universal power of storytelling – even for bloggers – you might be wondering where your stories come from.

How do you find that mesmerizing story idea that will bring life to your post?

In truth, all your idea needs is the secret ingredient we’ve already mentioned: strong emotions!

Turn on the TV, open a magazine – you will always see the same forms of drama. Nothing special about it, but people are eating it up like hot fudge.

How you present is much more important than what you present. So don’t panic because you think you need to rewrite Gone with the Wind.

Whether your story covers a single phrase, a whole section, or your entire post, first you should identify the point you want to make.

Then look for a story that expresses your point as neatly as possible.

Simple, right?

Well, just in case it doesn’t seem simple just yet, let’s look at a specific example.

Say you run a “home and garden” blog and want to write a post about buying furniture, in particular how to match colors and fabrics.

What type of stories could you use to enhance your post?

The following are a few different story types you could draw upon for your furniture post.

1. Stories Where You are the Main Character

The first option is to exploit your personal experiences. You already know that it makes for a strong connection with your reader.

In our example, if you ever worked in a store selling furniture, you should feel like you won the lottery.

Granted, that’s not very likely. But maybe you could draw a parallel with an experience you did have? What about that summer job in a clothing store you took in your teens? Clothes require careful combinations too. You could tell a story of your worst-dressed customer as an analogy for a room full of poorly coordinated furniture.

Remember, everybody, including you, has a myriad of stories to tell; most people just don’t dare to tell them publicly. Your life is an accumulation of stories. Draw from your wealth of experiences.

Societal norms have put filters into our heads. So go ahead and be the one who dares to shake people out of their fatigue by telling them something raw and authentic.

The more inner resistance you feel to telling your story, the better it is: You are involved emotionally. Transfer your emotions onto the page and the reader. He will love you for it.

2. Stories You Have Heard or Read

What did your ex-roommate once tell you about his Dad’s obsession with antique furniture? What about your cousin’s eccentric taste in pillow covers? And what did you learn from that documentary the other day about glassware?

We are constantly bombarded with an avalanche of stories from family, friends, acquaintances, and the media. Make mental notes. Use the boring small talk at the next garden party to extract interesting stories from strangers – you will also have a better time than asking how their kids are doing for the third time.

Draw upon these stories in your writing. There is a reason why you remember them; some piece of it connected with you. Find the part that got you interested in the first place, and parade it. It will also be the most interesting part for your reader.

3. Stories You Find on The Internet

One tool offers an inexhaustible supply of stories.

It’s your old friend Google. And while an unfocused Google search can be like diving down a rabbit hole, finding the right story is usually just a matter of using the right keywords.

History is an endless source of great stories. (The term even contains the word “story.”) Look how Mark Manson fills an entire 4,000-word post with countless historical mini-stories. Even the tabloid papers would have a hard time coming up with that much sex and personal drama.

For my furniture-related post, I Googled “Victorian furniture styles,” and found this Wikipedia link, which mentions how plaster was scored to look like stone and graining was used on woods to imitate higher quality. You could easily tell a story about how it was fashionable in Victorian times to fake surfaces to seem higher class.

I chose “Victorian” just as a random era to make my search more concrete — generic queries tended to produce generic results. If “Victorian” hadn’t worked, I’d have tried other eras such as “Renaissance.”

4. Stories From Your Reader’s Life

Try to put yourself in your reader’s shoes. Have you been where he is now? If not, give it your best guess. Which concerns could be on his mind right now?

Whoever your reader is, if he is reading a post about how to match furniture, he quite likely is in the process of furnishing his new house or apartment. So why not begin the post like this:

Is all of the planning and combining starting to annoy you?

Curtains here, rugs there. The couch finally fits with the cupboard, but now it doesn’t fit with the side table.

Furnishing an apartment can be a headache, especially when you are not sure how to combine all the different pieces.

And notice how most of the story is implied. The narrative isn’t explicit – this happened, then this happened – but it’s there behind the scenes. It’s implied by sentences like “The couch finally fits with the cupboard, but now it doesn’t fit with the side table.” We can imagine hours of trial and error trying to combine different items of furniture from a catalog or website.

You could also tell your reader’s story indirectly by choosing a personal story they’ll relate to. Consider who your audience is – which stories from your life will they relate to best?

If you started a blog about parenting, that might be a story about a teething baby. Readers of a tattoo blog would be more interested in the story of the first time you were “inked.”

5. Stories You Just Made Up (It’s Okay)

The point of a great story is to draw your reader in, entertain them, and leave them with a message. And a story doesn’t have to be true to achieve these goals.

So if you don’t have a story, invent one.

Of course, there are limits. Never lie about your biography (education, career, big merits), never lie about another existing person, and don’t fake events to provoke opinions. Don’t explicitly claim your invented story is true either.

For the furniture blog post, you could make up a story of someone newly rich, with almost unlimited budget, whose expensive furniture was combined so badly that house guests laughed at his lack of taste. Your message? That a beautifully furnished room is not limited by budget.

Build a Devoted Following through the Magic of Storytelling

Armed to the teeth with storytelling tools, you can now engage your readers’ emotions like never before.

Remember, you’ve told hilarious stories during family holiday dinners or when you were alone with your best friend. Telling stories on your blog is easy too.

And Scheherazade?

With enormous courage and wit, she managed the unthinkable: After firing up the king’s passion night after night with her thrilling stories about wonders, love, and danger, he spared her life and made her his queen.

Scheherazade saved her own life, and thousands of others (the king’s future brides), with the mesmerizing power of storytelling.

Here is the point: We humans are raw and vulnerable. We want to see ourselves reflected in others and we want to experience truth (even if it’s not always fact) – which is why we love to immerse ourselves in the pain and the joy of a sweeping story.

Give people the stories they are so desperately longing for and they will strongly engage with your writing – as they will feel your message to the core.

You have magnificent, unbelievable stories, begging to be told.

The question is: do you have the courage to tap into your deepest emotions and share them with the world?

Because if you do, your readers will be your loyal audience forever.

The post The Blogger’s Guide to Telling Stories That Win Hearts and Minds appeared first on Smart Blogger.

from SEO and SM Tips https://smartblogger.com/storytelling/

[minuteficsbyjv]

Alam Mo Iba Ka Sa Kama (Rewritten)

My ass was parked comfortably on the park bench and I could feel everything around me going in different directions: the cars that passed headed left, some to the right; the leaves rustled in the wind to my left; the people that walked pass criss-crossed, circled across us; your face fell to the floor, “alam mo iba ka sa kama.”

I picked your expression on the floor carrying with it your feelings through my words but I wasn’t sure of its weight— I measured the bulk with words of persuasion and just like clock work, it worked. The weight was lifted. Or so I believed.

Your words pierced me, your expression scared me, and I felt at that moment that I wanted you like you wanted me, I needed you like you needed me.

“Alam mo iba ka sa kama,” so unforgettable that it draws me back to that moment you uttered it whenever somebody mentions your name. So powerful that I base everything we had on it. It was also very romantic that I actually held on to it. Little did I know it would be the last time I’d see you again.

+

Lost in the bacchanalia of the night before, you threw up on the red brick wall of the bar I will always remember you with. I patted your back as I watched you puke various shapes I couldn’t identify from your mouth, your hair was wet with sweat and you handed me your wallet for fear that you might lose it. For the first time during the course of our relationship I broke the financial dynamic I created between us: we’d only spend gratuitously for each other on special things, that we were a KKB kind of relationship; but I bought you a bottle of water from my own pocket even though your wallet was fat with cash.

You profusely apologized for ruining my night while you lay your head on my lap on the ride home, and I kept teasing you “inom pa!” as I rubbed your greasy head.

“Alam mo iba ka sa kama,” this was the kama you referred to the next day. The kama where you lay beside me so intoxicated. The kama where you tried to have sex with me because you insisted to make up for ruining my night with your drunkeness upon keeping your promise that that night would be ’special’. I refused your sexual advances because I was tired from the drinking as well and told you that despite your intoxication you have made my night already special. It wasn’t as planned but it was special.

I finally felt what I haven’t most of our relationship, I cared for you. And I love taking care of you. Drunk you and nurse me, that was special.

“Babe, I love you.” I replied of course, and for the first time I actually meant it.

+

Ironic that I’ve searched for a relationship since college and when I found it I suddenly shudder at the thought of somehow being one’s property, pressured by morning greetings and good night messages, dreaded being told “I love you” and replying a lie.

The plan was to break up with you despite the shift of my feelings from our drunken moment the night before. I was not boyfriend material, I did not even know how to be a boyfriend in the first place. The cliched “it’s not you it’s me” was actually said.

“Alam mo iba ka sa kama,“I always come through with my plans and I can’t disappoint myself so I disappointed you. I hurt you. But just the mere look on your face, the pain in your voice— I retreated, suddenly I was the bipolar asshole taking back what I said and convinced you that we should be together after all.

Of course, you didn’t mind my break up jerk and we displayed PDA in a matter of seconds.

+

If I only knew then what I know now, that it was the last time I’d see you again I never would’ve broken up with you. I would’ve been more affectionate when I brought you to the bus station. “Alam mo iba ka sa kama” never would be haunting up to this day.

It still follows me up to this day: my passiveness, how the little things I said and did actually contributed to our break up because I always wanted to have the upper hand in our relationship to avoid getting hurt. Nightmares of "alam mo iba ka sa kama” ensue when I think about you, the most prominent memory. The most painful.

“Alam mo iba ka sa kama”, I’m an asshole. “Alam mo iba ka sa kama”, tonight, in my kama, I regret that I am.